Sincerity and Insanity
by Dark Nuriko
Summary: After the pilots have saved the Earth, what is it they plan on doing. At twenty-five, Duo's living on Earth and working at what he does best, but he can't find time to go to a reunion. So Quatre desides to bring it to him. Discontinued.
1. Prologue

_**Sincerity and (In)Sanity**_

_By: Nuriko_

Title: **_Sincerity and (In)Sanity_**

Author: Dark Nuriko

Category: Gundam Wing

Genre: Drama/Humor/Romance

Pairings: 1x2, 3x4, 5x?

Warnings: Yaoi, language, insanity, and lemon

Rating: M

Disclaimer: With every story I've ever done, as well as all the other fanfiction written by other authors, you should all know this. The Gundam Boys and Gundam Wing do not belong to me. For as much as I would like to think otherwise, seeing as Duo is always over at my place, they do not belong to me. Please don't sue, for I'm writing this for fun and not profit.

Author's Note: As usual, I'm writing this before the end of the story. I do this in order to allow my readers to know what's going on in my insane mind. I'm going a different path with this story. In fact, I'll be going about ten years past the usual of most of these stories. After the wars, the pilots went their separate ways. The last thing anyone had known of Duo, he had headed off to school to 'find his own path'. Now, at the age of twenty-five, Quatre decides it's time for all the former pilots to get together and catch up on the missing years. What a surprise when Duo declines due to being 'too busy at work'. After all, Duo was never one for work. What was it that makes the former pilot so busy? With a plan in mind, Quatre moves the reunion to where Duo is. Only trouble is, what will they all think when they see what Duo's done in the last eight years.

Indicates thought.

/ Indicates remembrance.

'_Italics'_ Indicates something read but not spoken.

**_Sincerity and (In)Sanity_**By: Nuriko

Prologue; A.C. 198; End of War; January 1st:

A shift in covers, a soft sigh, and the squeak of bed springs greeted Duo Maxwell's first day of the new year. He slowly opened one violet eye and stared into his alarm clock, which was silent for the first time in a long while. His lithe, slender body was sore, but deliciously so. The night before, he had celebrated with the rest of his fellow pilots, who were now officially former pilots, and then had a very enjoyable night in the arms of the one person he had loved for as long as he could remember. . .or since the day they had met, anyway. Drawing a sigh from his lips, he turned to wrap an arm around his lover, only to find nothing but the slightly cool sheets where a warm body should have been. Sitting up swiftly, ignoring the covers that were tangled around his waist and the dizziness that had hit his head, he looked around, both eyes wide open.

"Damn it!" Duo cried as he realized he was alone. A single piece of paper sat on the pillow where his lover's head should have been. Picking up, he read the neat, precise writing that belonged to only one person in their little group and felt tears fill his eyes.

_'Thanks for always being there for me.'_

That's all that this had been summed up to for him. A simple need to be there for him. Duo was upset and hurting. He couldn't stand it! This isn't want he expected to wake up to. Not when he had every intention of telling him that he loved him with the dawning of this day.

"Damn you to Hell, Heero Yuy! How could you do what we did and then just leave!" Duo growled, his tears slowly spilling over his lashes and down his cheeks. He had always said he'd remain strong, that he'd refuse to be a baby and cry. Boys didn't cry, and damn it, he was a boy. Well, in another month, the world would see him as a man, even though many already did.

Wiping his eyes angrily with the back of his hand, he struggled to get out of the covers and eventually stumbled over to his closet. Unmindful of his nudity, he grabbed out a black shirt and pair of pants before going over to his dresser and pulling out a pair of boxers. He then staggered into the adjoining bathroom and turned on the water, unmindful of what the temperature was. He just wanted to clean up and dress and get the hell out of here before he did something he was libel to regret. After all, he was very good at doing something terrible if he needed to, and at the moment, he was just about ready to see how many explosives he could place on a certain Japanese pilot's brand new car. He could use a nice firework show to ring in the new year.

Stepping into the water, he was suddenly grateful for the cold chill that washed over him. It calmed his anger and seemed to convince him that he need not retaliate. After all, Heero had been drunk last night. He possibly didn't even recall what had occurred. In a way, Duo was kind of grateful for his ignorance. In the middle of the most passionate moment of his existence, Duo had cried out what his wildly pounding heart had demanded of him.

/"Hee-ro, I. . .I love you!"/

Man, if one person could lose all control at the wrong moment, Duo had managed it. He had kept those words buried so deep that he had thought he'd never have to worry about. Unfortunately, he had also been drinking, which had lowered his ability to keep his real feelings from showing. That in turn, had led to those fateful words from his lips right as Heero and he had met their climaxes at the same time. Heero had instantly fallen on top of him and passed out after that, but Duo was still certain he had heard him all the same. If only he could be absolutely certain that it wasn't his confession that had scared him off. Yet he wasn't certain of anything anymore.

Swiftly washing himself clean and making certain his hair was thoroughly clean he jumped out of the shower and dried off. He rang his hair out over the tub, of which Quatre had pressed upon him, before wrapping his towel turban style around his hair. He then quickly dressed, before taking down the turban and brushing out his hair. He was in too much of a rush to spend the half hour it normally took to blow dry it, so he braided it while it was still wet. It would leave it extremely wavy when he next took it out, but that wasn't a major concern for him at the moment. What was important was that he get all of his things together so he could leave.

Granted, he had told Quatre that he would stay throughout the week, but after what had happened, it was better for him to leave than Heero. Heero was still trying to adjust to humanity. He would adjust better if he could be near others who could understand him. Duo, on the other hand, was fairly well versed in humanity and didn't have to worry about much in that respect. Carefully pulling his duffel bag from under his bed, his last remaining reminder of Father Maxwell, beside his name, he quickly began tossing his few, meager belongings into it. As soon as he was done, he picked up three pictures from the five on the dresser and placed them carefully on top of his clothes. One was of the five pilots with their Gundams standing proudly behind them. Quatre had Rashid take it once they had all agreed that they should work together instead of separately. Quatre had then had four copies made up on top of the original and given one to each of the pilots.

The second photo was of the five pilots after the war, bright smiles and peace signs on everyone's lips except Heero and Wufei. Those two looked extremely serious and it was almost comical the way they were trying to stand apart from the three who were happy. No such luck, especially when Duo wanted a 'family' portrait. The last one was taken during Duo's birthday party last year. It was of just Heero and himself. He loved it dearly because it was one of the few pictures he had where the normally stoic pilot was smiling. It was his present to Duo. Heero wasn't one for making a big to do for someone's birthday, but when Duo had asked to have one picture of them together with Heero smiling, the Japanese boy had given in. It was Duo's favorite possession. Writing a swift reply to Heero's note, he slipped it into an envelope and made certain all was taken care of.

Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he opened the door to his room at one of Quatre's places for the last time and gazed back at the bed. A heavy sigh escaped from his lips. So long, dear room. We've sure had some interesting times, ne? Duo thought. He then turned from it, swinging the door quietly closed behind himself. He strode purposefully down the stairs and into the dining area, where Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei were already at. Quatre greeted Duo with a warm smile, until his gaze took in the duffel bag. Then his smile slowly faded, his aqua colored eyes losing their bright shine. Trowa, noting his lovers expression, turned to look at Duo as well, his lone emerald eye gazing seriously at the American. Yet it was the surprise in Wufei's ebony eyes that caused Duo to smile slightly. He wasn't used to cracking the Chinaman's calm façade, unless he was trying to anger him.

"Duo?" Quatre questioned, surprise and worry in his voice.

"I'm leaving, Quat," Duo said softly, looking down at his hands, which were much smaller than most males his age.

"Why?" Wufei questioned. "Did Yuy say something stupid while drunk last night?" Duo laughed quietly and shook his head.

"It wasn't, Heero. It's me. I've come to realize I need to figure out what I want to do with my life. I need to find my own path. One that I won't find staying here. I'll keep in touch, I promise. Perhaps we can even get together from time to time. Yet I'm thinking my path will lead me to Earth. I've managed to save up some pretty good money while fighting in the war, I can do a lot of things. I just need to find what's really me." Quatre gave him a watery smile, nodding his blond head in understanding.

"I always thought you'd be the last to want to leave," Quatre admitted sadly. Duo laughed while Trowa nodded his head in agreement with his lover.

"Don't be a stranger," Trowa said, holding his hand out to Duo. Duo took it and shook his hand.

"Aren't you going to eat before you leave?" Quatre questioned, trying to prolong the moment. Duo shook his head.

"Nope. I remember Howard saying he was leaving for Earth today. If I leave now, I can catch a ride with him."

"Take care of yourself, Maxwell," Wufei said finally, knowing there was no changing the braided boys mind. Duo nodded, holding out his hand. He was surprised when Wufei shook it and then gave him a light hug.

"You too, Wufei." Wufei's eyes widened as Duo said his name correctly and Duo simply laughed. "See, I can get your name right sometimes." Wufei smiled in return. It was then time to face Quatre. He cried openly and jumped into Duo's arms, hugging him tightly. Duo hugged him in return, one lone tear escaping his rigid control.

"I'll miss you, Duo," Quatre whispered softly. Duo set him back and gently brushed away the Arabian's tears.

"I'll miss ya too, Q-bean. I'll miss all of ya. You're all family. So don't be a stranger, either. Ya all know my email." Quatre nodded, sniffing loudly before hugging Duo once more. He then stepped back and Trowa placed a comforting arm around him. Duo then wiped his own tear aside and handed an envelope to Quatre. "See that Heero gets that, would ya?" Trowa and Quatre nodded at the same time.

"Of course."

"I'll drive you to the space port, it'll save time," Wufei commented, already gathering his keys and jacket. Duo smirked, nodding his head in agreement instantly.

"Thanks, that'll be a great help." Wufei lead the way out while Quatre took the letter from him. He then waved as they left.

"Think something happened last night, Trowa?" Quatre asked once they were alone.

"Of course. Otherwise, Heero would be here still sleeping off his drink and Duo would have been his usual cheerful self." Quatre nodded in agreement and placed his head on Trowa's shoulder. Trowa held his small lover tightly against himself.

"Should we worry about him?" Trowa raised an eyebrow, although his lover couldn't see it.

"About Duo?" he asked. At Quatre's nod, Trowa shook his head.

"Out of all of us, he's used to making it on his own. He'll be fine. Just you wait and see."

Heero returned to Quatre's home to find everyone gone and an envelope with his name on it sitting on the table that led into the main hall. He picked it up, recognizing Duo's bubbly writing style, and opened it. Inside was a piece of paper with two simple lines on it and his initials.

_'As I thank for you always being there for me. Love you always, Hee-chan. D. M.'_

Heero blinked in surprise at this unexpected turn of events and went on up to his room. He was heading off today, of which the others already knew about. All of them except Duo. When he paused at Duo's room, he was surprised to find one of Quatre's maids cleaning it. Duo never allowed Quatre to clean his room unless he was gone. Hearing the door open downstairs, Heero walked over to the banister and looked down to see Wufei coming into the room. Wufei looked up at Heero and nodded.

"Yuy," Wufei said. Heero nodded his head in return.

"Chang," Heero responded. "Why is Duo's room being cleaned?"

"He left. In fact I'm just coming back from dropping him off at the space station."

"Left? Why?" Heero questioned.

"Said he needed to find his own path." Heero looked down at the letter in his hands. He was certain there was more to it than that, but apparently he wasn't about to tell anyone about what had gone on last night. Heero knew that if Duo wanted it kept quiet then he would keep it quiet. Instead he turned around and headed into his own room, wanting to get everything together before he had to start work as Relena's bodyguard tonight. After all, he had agreed to it just last night, he couldn't very well go back on his word now. He'd just have to go search for Duo on his own time, whenever that was.


	2. Chapter One

_**Sincerity and (In)sanity**_

Chapter One; A. C. 205; Seven Years Later; January 1st:

Duo stood up from his office chair and stretched his muscles after his client walked out the door. A large yawn escaped his lips as he tried to get his muscles to move, although they seemed reluctant to stretch as far as they should be able to go. For the last hour, he'd been sitting in his chair behind his desk, listening to his client talk about a bunch of stuff that was anything but the real reason she was there. Why were people so reluctant to speak of their troubles, even when it was around someone who was specifically there to listen? It just didn't make sense. Then again, there were quite a few of his clients who were just plain good at not making sense.

After five years in college, Duo had finally managed to get his doctorate in psychology. He was a psychologist at Maxwell's Orphanage and Group Home. While he had been studying in college, his professor had taken a shine to him. That shine had caused him to ask Duo if he'd want to be the resident psychologist at an orphanage he had just recently opened. At that time, it had been called Saint Benedict's Orphanage. While Duo had no trouble with the name, he had let his professor know that he had once come from an orphanage, a long time ago on L2, and once he had realized that Duo was the sole survivor of the Maxwell Church incident, he had renamed it in honor of the man who had made Duo's professor want to open an orphanage in the first place.

"Duo?" a deep, baritone voice called from beside his glassed door. He looked up to see his former professor standing in the doorway, a warm smile on his lips.

"Hey, Andrew. What brings you all this way?" Duo asked, an answering smile on his lips.

"I was wondering if I could drag you away for a late lunch," he said, his forest green eyes bright. Andrew Laurens was forty-five years old, just twenty years Duo's senior. Yet once they had began getting to know each other, they had become more like father and son. Many people actually questioned if they weren't related. While Duo had long chestnut brown hair and violet eyes, Andrew had long golden blond hair that fell to the middle of his back and forest green eyes. Each one of them looked at life with a smile and they always seemed to come back with the same thing when someone was being stupid. They also knew a lot about the human mind, and how it worked. It was what made them such well sought after psychologists.

"Actually, I just saw my last client for the day, so I suppose you can." Andrew laughed, and shook his head at Duo's antics.

"Is that the way a well known psychologist is supposed to talk?" Andrew asked. Duo smirked at him.

"Hell no, but it's how I talk when I'm off the clock. And right now, ya don't get more off the clock than calling it a night. Unless, of course, one of the kids needs me. If that's the case, they have my cell number, they can reach me at any time." Andrew placed a fatherly arm around him, a short bark of laughter escaping his lips.

"You devote a lot of time to this place, Duo. I'm kind of surprised you aren't looking for a nice girl to settle down with. Always helping with the children here instead of focusing on your future." Duo snorted.

"Um, Andrew, I thought I told you I was gay? I seem to recall saying that to you on a number of occasions." Andrew nodded, dropping his arm.

"I remember, so then you find yourself a nice boy, instead of a girl. So what. What matters is that you settle down, enjoy life while you have it." Duo chuckled and Andrew soon joined in. It wasn't often that they were able to get together any more. Usually, Duo had a client or Andrew had a class. Yet today was one of those rare days. One of those days when they could spend some time in each others company.

"How's class? Anyone stand out?" Andrew shook his head.

"No. You're still the brightest student I've had in all the years I've been a professor." Just then, Duo's cell phone began playing 'Gentlemen Prefer Blonde's' Duo chuckled, losing the tie around his neck and undoing the buttons on his navy blue suit jacket before answering it. It was Quatre. It was the ring tone Duo had set aside just for him.

"Yo, Q-bean, what can I do for ya?" Duo asked, his voice cheerful. Andrew smirked as Duo smirked. It was always interesting to listen to Duo talk to his friends from his time before the wars. He was always so cheerful and excitable when he talked to them.

_"Hey Duo! I'm glad I seemed to catch you off the clock. Or are you actually between sessions?"_ Quatre was the only one of the former pilots who knew what Duo did for a living. He had found it so funny that he wanted to allow Duo to tell the others, although none of them ever bothered to call him to find out. As long as they knew he was all right, that was all that mattered. That didn't bother Duo. In fact, not hearing from Heero kept him from losing it entirely. After all, that letter he left was kind of mean, in a way.

"Actually, I'm just on my way to lunch with Professor Laurens. But I'm always free to talk to you as long as I'm not in a session." Quatre laughed softly in reply to his words.

_"That's good. I was planning on holding a reunion for us former pilots. You were the first one I thought of to call."_ Duo felt a warm smile on his lips at that. He had really missed his friends during the years he was working at becoming a psychologist. He had also sprung up like a weed once he turned twenty. He was now a steady six foot tall and his classic braid fell to a little past his ass. His feminine, almost girl-like features had smoothed out into the smooth lines of an adult male. Now, while it was true he was still slender and lithe of build, it was more obvious that he was male now, even with the long hair. His navy blue dress suit was perfectly tailored to his form, making him every woman's wet dream when he walked down the street. Andrew was dressed in a simple pair of black slacks and a white dress shirt. A white lab coat acted like his suit jacket.

"It sounds wonderful, Q-bean. I really want to see the whole gang again." Andrew gave Duo a thumbs up sign and Duo smiled in return. "When and where is this amazing event?"

_"Next week, up here on L4."_ Quatre's voice answered. Duo's smile faltered and the sparkle left his eyes.

"Next week?" Duo questioned. Andrew found himself frowning as well. It appeared that what had began as a bright conversation had soon become a sad one. "I can't make it, Q-bean. I've got four Speaking Engagements next week that I've already been putting off for a month now. I can't put them off any longer. I'm really sorry, Q-bean. I would go if I wasn't so busy." Duo could hear Quatre sigh.

_"It can't be helped. Perhaps we can come up with something where we can come listen to you speak. If anything, at least Trowa and I can see you next week after the reunion."_ Duo's smile was back full force once more.

"Really? That'd be really cool. I'd love it. See what you can do cause I'd love to see ya. It's been a really long time."

_"Well, I'll definitely come down and see you, even if I can't convince Wufei and Heero to come along."_ Duo smirked brightly. That was just like Quatre. He didn't include Trowa's name because he knew that where ever he went Trowa went with him.

"Well, which ever happens, even if it's just Tro-man and yourself, that's fine. I just want to see someone. I'd even settle for Relena." Quatre chuckled at that.

_"That's not fair, Duo. Relena's not that bad."_

"Depends on who you're talking to, Q-bean." Andrew began laughing at that. He had been privy to some of Duo's tales of Relena's adventures. Although the braided man didn't really dislike Relena, he was still a little put off by the fact that in the end Relena had won in the battle for Heero. Duo was still glad that he had been Heero's first, and that was something Relena would never be able to claim, unless she got technical and began saying she was the 'first woman' Heero had ever slept with. Yet Duo didn't really believe that Heero had slept with her, after all, she was a job at the moment. Heero never mixed business with pleasure, mores the pity.

_"Agreed. Anyway, I'll let you get to lunch. I'll keep in touch."_

"All right. Take care of yourself."

_"You too, Duo. You've got my love, brother."_ Duo smirked at that. That was Quatre to a tee. He was just like a brother to Duo and vice versa. They saw each other as family and Trowa knew it. That's the only reason why he never got jealous when Quatre said he loved Duo.

"Luv ya too, Q-bean. Send my love to the others as well." Andrew smiled at that. He was only recently one to receive Duo's brand of love. It was something anyone who earned it should cherish, for he loved whole heartedly without ever holding back.

_"Later,"_ Quatre said.

"Later," Duo answered before the phone was hung up. He turned it off and looked up at Andrew.

"Come on, Duo. We need to get you some food." Duo chuckled softly and nodded his head. His stomach then rumbled, causing them both to begin laughing.

"My stomach agrees with you. Let's go. You're treat, right?" Andrew groaned but nodded his assent.

"Yeah, I guess I better before I lose my only psychologist at the orphanage." They laughed together and headed off to the nearest place to eat, knowing they had an unknown amount of time before something happened to call Duo back to work.

Quatre hung up the phone, a sad expression on his lips. Trowa and Quatre had also grown up. Trowa was now six foot two while Quatre was a simple five foot ten. Wufei had grown to be five foot eight and Heero was five foot seven and a half. Heero was the shortest of the rest of them due to his Japanese heritage. Other than height change and Quatre appearing a bit more feminine, they were just the same as they looked seven years ago. The only other difference, that was almost unnoticeable, was Heero's hair. It was just a bit longer than he used to have it. His bangs fell to the tip of his nose while the rest of it almost fell to his chin. To Quatre's frame of mind, he looked really good.

"So?" Wufei questioned, sitting across from Quatre in the Winner Industries CEO office. Trowa stood off to the right of Quatre, looking serious. Heero was behind Wufei, his expression, as usual, unreadable.

"He can't make it. He's got too much work to do." Trowa frowned along with Quatre while Heero only flinched slightly.

He's not coming because of me, Heero thought to himself.

"So what kind a reunion is this without him?" Wufei questioned. Quatre looked toward Trowa, who simply nodded, knowing exactly what his lover had planned.

"I want to move the reunion to Earth. Only trouble is, I don't know if Heero can make it, seeing as he has to guard Relena while here on L4 that week." Heero looked at them for a moment before shaking his head.

"I'd be a day late. Relena is returning to Earth the day after the reunion was to begin. Since you had it planned for three days, then I'd be there for two of them." Quatre smiled.

"Does this mean we're all going to him?" Quatre asked, hope shining in his eyes. Wufei smiled while Trowa nodded.

"Whatever you want," Trowa answered.

"I suppose it's up to us seeing as Maxwell can't manage to keep himself with some free time. When was the last time he had a break from that job he managed to acquire?" Quatre choked back his laughter while Trowa's single emerald eye shined with mirth. They really should have asked what Duo did for a living. It was bound to surprise them once they find out.

"Good. Then next week, on Earth. It's all agreed?" Everyone nodded.

"Mission accepted," Heero said, his lips slowly curving into a smile. This way, no matter what, Duo couldn't avoid him. They would have to talk, and when they did, he'd ask why he never bothered to call, in all the time they had been apart.


	3. Chapter Two

_**Sincerity and (In)Sanity**_

Chapter Two:

Duo stared into the paper he had been reading. This was ridiculous. How could someone who was as smart as that kid be so stupid when it came to writing down his problems? Shane was a very smart, independent kid. Too bad he thought he didn't have to answer to anyone and that his problems were no one else's trouble but his own. On the paper he had turned in, it read just a few simple words.

_'I Have No Problems!'_

Snorting softly, Duo set the paper aside and slowly began to rub his neck. His muscles were bunching from all the papers he had to read. Some of them actually helped him understand the children better. Other ones of them simply made him want to strangle them. Why did all children have to think that nothing was positive anymore. It was really sad to see them like this. Even those who came into the Maxwell Church during the beginnings of the war hadn't been this pessimistic. Perhaps it was just what happened after the war. Who really knew? Duo certainly didn't.

Behind him was his diploma, as well as his accreditation from the Sank Kingdom for helping keep peace alive and several other important papers. Several newspaper clippings from his time as a pilot were also in frames behind him. As was his picture of them as a group. On his desk was the one of Heero and himself. The one of all of them with their Gundams was at his small home, sitting on his dresser. It was something he wanted to keep for himself. After all, only a handful of people knew he used to be a Gundam pilot. Everyone who came into his office usually ignored what he had on his walls and simply tried to get him to ignore them. Some of them even tried to get him upset, but it usually fell through. Too bad for them, he was the master at annoy others and he wouldn't let anyone try to beat him at his own game. It was one of the things that made him so good.

"You know, you really shouldn't work yourself so hard," a sweet, very familiar voice called from his doorway. Looking up in surprise, Duo's smile was almost as big as his entire face.

"Quatre!" Duo exclaimed, rushing out of his seat and over to the blond. Instantly he was warped up in his embrace. They hugged each other for a long moment before stepping back and taking a good look at one another.

"Those vid-phone conversations didn't do you justice, Duo. You've really grown up." Duo smirked and lightly punched Quatre's shoulder.

"You didn't turn out so bad yourself, Q-bean," Duo said softly, his voice a little husky at having missed his friend and almost brother. In some ways, Quatre had said they were, and Duo had leapt on it with everything in him.

"Don't forget about me," Trowa said slowly, laughter in his tone as he watched Duo and Quatre. Duo made an about face and threw himself at Trowa. Trowa chuckled once more, hugging the exuberant man. Obviously, Duo hadn't changed much in the years they had been apart.

"Still as childish as ever I see, Maxwell," Wufei commented, as he came into the room behind Trowa. Duo stopped hugging Trowa and rushed into Wufei's arms, hugging the surprised Chinese man. Wufei eventually hugged Duo back, a small grin on his lips. "Good to see you Maxwell," he said after a moment. Duo stepped back and nodded.

"It's good to see all of you." He then paused and looked around. When his eyes couldn't find Heero, he turned his violet gaze back on the blond.

"He'll be around tomorrow. He's still on his way back from L4 with Relena," Quatre answered the question in his eyes. Duo nodded slowly.

"I see. So he's still Relena's bodyguard?"

"Yes," Quatre said, moving close to Trowa. "Seems she's been targeted several times since the Eve's War. Being a well known personage who just happened to help bring about peace seems to have made her more disliked by some people." Duo simply nodded in understanding.

"So, you all decided to come here, huh?" Duo asked, changing the subject. Trowa chuckled once more.

"Yes. No one believed it would be a true reunion without you." Duo flushed softly.

"I really am sorry, you guys. Yet I've got two other Speaking Engagements to go to. I might not be able to do anything until later in the evenings, and even then I'm still on call." Wufei blinked.

"What in the world is it you chose for a career?" Wufei questioned, walking over to the wall with all his papers.

"I'm a psychologist. I help children get past their pent up emotions. Many of them that come to an orphanage seem to come with a large chip on their shoulder, so this is what I try to get past."

"Go figure. It takes a nut to help a nut, eh Maxwell?" Wufei questioned. Duo laughed at that while Quatre huffed.

"Wufei, that's mean," Quatre complained. Duo merely shrugged off the insult.

"But very true. Most psychologists have their own psychologist. It's just the way things go. Yet I'm crazy enough to understand what's going on. So I don't need one. I wasn't certain what I was going to become until I met Professor Laurens. He told me about the orphanage and group home he was opening and, well, I just figured my past could come in handy."

"From what I've heard, it's come in very handy," Quatre said. Duo nodded.

"It has. I've even gotten some adults who've wanted to have me as a psyche, although I've had to decline some of them. I try to stick to children and teenagers. I can understand them better." Wufei snickered.

"Must be because you're so much like them." Duo and Quatre laughed richly while Trowa merely chuckled lightly.

"Must be," Duo agreed. He then looked at his clock. "I hate to rush you three but I have a client coming in about five minutes. Most of them don't take kindly to strangers. So how about we make plans to meet back at my place? I've got two spare rooms. It'd be nice having company for a change." Wufei raised an eyebrow while Quatre nodded.

"That'd be fine. We'll go get something to eat and see you at your place in about two hours?" Quatre questioned. Duo nodded his head in agreement.

"Yeah, that's about right." Wufei moved to leave, as did Trowa.

"Try not to be too long," Quatre said once he reached the door way. Duo laughed softly.

"I won't. I promise."

"Good. Don't make me come after you." Duo shook his head.

"No plans on that, Q-bean. Just get out of here before I have an even tougher job than normal." Quatre swiftly moved out the door. He didn't even bother to comment about it. He just agreed with a nod of his head before he ran out of the office.

Ten minutes later, the door to Duo's office opened. Without looking up, Duo flipped his page in the book he was reading and called out. "Enter, and you're late."

"I'm sorry, Dr. Maxwell," a soft voice commented as the door opened and closed.

"Please, call me. . ." His voice trailed off as he looked at his patient, his eyes widened to twice their usual size.

"Duo?" Relena Peacecraft-Dorlin commented as she looked into his surprised violet eyes. Her own blue eyes were wide in surprise as well.

"Relena? You're my new client?" Duo questioned.

"Ye. . .yes, I didn't realize you had become a doctor," she said, looking at him. Duo smiled and placed a hand behind his head.

"It's not much. Just a doctorate in Psychology. I mostly handle children, but lately I've been taking a few adult clients in order to earn a little more money so I could take off for the summer so I could spend some time with my friends on the colonies." Duo brought his hand down and gave Relena a soft smile.

"How come you decided to work on Earth?" she asked, taking a seat when he motioned to one. Duo turned toward his bookshelf and placed his book back onto it. Relena's eyes took in the rest of the room, a smile coming to her lips as she saw the picture of Heero and Duo on his desk.

"I felt that there was more for me here than I could find on the colonies. Once I began my psychology classes, I found myself wanting to be a child psychologist in order to help those who had become orphaned during the wars. After all, it's the least I can do." Relena gave him a warm, understanding smile and placed a hand onto his desk.

"I think it's wonderful of you. How long have you been a psychologist?" Duo thought it over.

"For about a year and a half now. I'm mostly on call for the Maxwell Orphanage and Halfway House, but I'm also here in my office for about half of the day. That doesn't sound too bad, does it? I mean, I'd like to think my job sounds pretty cool, considering I love it dearly." Relena laughed softly, her blond hair pulled back in a French braid.

"I think you couldn't have found a better job. When I had asked for the best, I had been referred to you. I just didn't realize that the Dr. Maxwell they had talked about was actually you, Duo." Duo waved off her words.

"Not too many people would figure that out. After all, I'm not actually the kind of person you would be able to see behind a desk and actually enjoying it." Relena shook her head. Yet before she could reply, Duo spoke up once more. "So, why do you need a Psyche? You aren't the kind of person I would believe to have need of a shrink."

"It seems I've been obsessing over someone for a long time now and I've come to the realization that he isn't the one for me. I've also realized that he doesn't see me that way and only wishes for my safety, nothing more. I need to find a way to let him go, but it's become difficult." Duo felt his expression go into serious mode. This just meant that he was all set to be the great psychologist he was and get busy.

"Can I be blunt with you, Relena? You don't mind me calling you that, do you?" Relena shook her head.

"That's why I came to a shrink, as you called it. I want honesty. Coming from you, I know I'll get plenty of it." Duo laughed, but it wasn't a happy one. It was just meant to let her know that he understood her words.

"Seeing things that way, then I'll make my comments short and do the point. The one we're talking about is Heero, isn't it? He's whom you've cared about for a long time and as of now, have just come to realize that it was him who was trying to tell you he wasn't interested in you that way, am I right." Her eyes widened in mild shock. She hadn't expected him to understand the situation so quickly.

"Yes. I realize you knew him back before he was on my security team, but how could you possibly know the rest?" Duo smiled softly, in understanding.

"Heero never talked much. In fact, I had to get used to reading what he meant by his body language instead of his actual actions. Yet it didn't always turn out correctly. The one thing I was always sure of was that he didn't care about you romantically but that he did see you as something that was necessary for peace. With that in his mind, I knew you would always be the one he protected. Knowing that much, I simply put the rest together. After all, you did say you had just realized the truth of it had to of been something Heero had said or done that had finally helped the message sink in." Relena nodded.

"it's true. In fact, he had told me that he had given himself to the one he really cared about and as soon as he was off of the contract, which ends this year, he was going to be with HIM. That's when I realized that Heero wasn't seeing me as a potential wife. He saw me as a thing." Duo shook his head.

"Not just that, he sees you almost as a sister. As do the rest of us pilots. You shouldn't let the fact that he doesn't love you as you love him get you down. Unrequited love helps a person find the one their soul is meant for. For you, it just wasn't him." Relena glanced at the picture on his desk once more and laughed softly.

"Was it you he was talking about?" she asked after a moment. It was already evident in her more relaxed and regal posture that she was taking this all a lot better than he had ever dreamed possible.

"I wish. . ." Duo wished, trailing off as his eyes looked at his picture as well. "No, he left me new years day. I haven't seen him since. He never answers the emails I send and I've yet to see him try to call. I don't have his number, so I couldn't call him."

"Duo, you're a former terrorist. Isn't it possible that you could have hacked a computer and found it out?" Duo snorted.

"Not really. He's one as well and knows how to hide what he doesn't want the rest of the world to know." Relena nodded, knowing full well how much of the soldier was left in Heero.

"He's taking tomorrow and Friday off for the reunion. I was invited as well to meet with everyone on Friday. I was thinking of bringing Dorothy along with me." Duo raised one curious eyebrow.

"Why Miss Relena, are you thinking of dating someone of the same sex?" Relena blushed furiously and looked away.

"Tell anyone and I'll make certain you can never work again." Duo chuckled at the threat. Relena had always known not to try to deny things around Duo. He was always very good at figuring people out. He was just even better at it now.

"Don't worry. I keep true to my client-doctor privilege. No one besides you, me, and the walls know what we're talking about." Relena sighed.

"Do you think I'm doing the right thing, Duo? Or am I simply throwing my anger at Heero's rejection toward every other man and looking for a woman's comfort and understanding?" Duo shrugged.

"Only you can answer that, Relena. Yet I don't think that's what you're doing. Besides Heero, Dorothy is the only other person you've felt close to. In that respect, you've grown closer to her than anyone else and thus your heart is leaning for something it knows is a little more possible."

"But what is Dorothy isn't. . ."

"A lesbian?" Duo questioned. Relena flushed, but nodded. "Don't worry. I happen to know she'll take whatever you give her. She's been watching over you for a very long time."

"How do you know all that?"

"Psychologist intuition. . .not to mention I talk to her twice a week and all she can talk about is how beautiful you've become, among other things." Relena flushed once more before standing up.

"Thank you for you time. I know this hasn't been a whole hour, but I'd like to end things for today. Perhaps we can continue this some other day?"

"Of course." Duo stood up and walked her to the door. Relena looked up at him, a soft smile on her lips. "Take care of yourself, Relena.

"You too, Duo. Just so you know, if Heero is seeing someone else, then he's stupid. The best thing he could have had was you." Duo flushed this time and gave the girl a warm hug.

"Thanks Relena. Perhaps I'll try to win him over during the two days I have off. If I can't win, then I'll send him off to his love with my entire blessing." Relena laughed softly and hugged him return before stepping out the door. Duo sighed and stared at the door. Relena had grown up in more ways than one, and she was obviously going to make Dorothy very happy. Now if only he could get his own life in order. Turning back to his desk, he got ready to make plans for something that he would set into operation tomorrow, when he saw Heero.


	4. Chatper Three

**_Sincerity and (In)Sanity:_**  
AN: As a change of pace, I'm writing this chapter in Duo POV, seeing as this is what I'm especially good at.

Chapter Three; Duo POV:

Sighing, I dragged myself tiredly toward home. I really wasn't surprised to see no one sitting outside of my door waiting for me. After all, this was certainly not something I hadn't been expecting. We were all former soldiers of a very dark war. This meant that any one of them could have easily picked the simple lock system I had on my door and gotten in. Granted, if I had wanted people to stay out of my place, I could do it without trouble. Yet there was so much more here than proving how smart I was. I wanted a place where some of the children I helped could get into if they really needed to talk. I lived right across from the orphanage, this way I was always readily available to the children.

"Quatre! I'm home!" I called, knowing Quatre would at least be waiting for me inside. I was correct, as well. Trowa and Wufei were missing while smells were coming from my kitchen area. Heading in the direction I was almost certain to see my blond friend at, I smiled at the vision that greeted my sight. Quatre was cooking in the kitchen, a pink and frilly apron on his slender figure. He was still short, but not as bad as he had used to be. In fact, Heero was the shortest of the group, at least, that's what I remembered. I hadn't seen him, though, so I didn't know for certain.

"Welcome home, Duo," Quatre said softly, offering me a warm smile. I smirked and placed my jacket over the back of one of kitchen chairs.

"Thanks," I answered, having missed having someone to come home to. "So, which one picked the locks and how long did it take?" Quatre chuckled lightly.

"Trowa did it. Took him five minutes, too." I snickered at that.

"He's losing his touch," I commented. Quatre nodded.

"I don't think he sees much need in those skills any more." Quatre then turned to check on something in the oven before walking over and taking a seat across from the one I was currently relaxing in. "Duo, can I get your professional help with something?" Quatre asked slowly. I blinked in mild surprise, but didn't show any other emotion.

"Sure, if you need to. Yet I'm kind of surprised. For as long as you've known me to be a psyche, you've never asked for my professional help. Why now, all of a sudden?" Quatre frowned softly. I hated to see that kind of look on his normally happy, cherubic face.

"I didn't think I had any problem. Yet I think the correct way of looking at things was that I didn't want to admit I had a problem. Watching some of the kids you work with come out of your office earlier, I realized the difference in them from the stiff child going in and the relaxed child coming out. It made me realize I could possibly use your brand of help." I sighed at that. It always took seeing other people getting better to realize things could get better for themselves if they accepted there was a problem to begin with. I glanced at the clock on the oven and smiled as I set my internal alarm.

"You've got an hour, Q-bean. So start talking."

"Thanks Duo," he said. I nodded and listened as he began to tell me about how he thought about his life in the past and about the first time he had ever met the Maganac Corps. I was amazed by how much venom was in his voice as he spoke about his past. He had really hated being a test tube child. Yet, if he had bothered to research his own past as I had, he'd have known the truth. Seeing as he had come to terms with himself now, I couldn't bring it upon myself to tell him the truth. After all, Quatre took a lot of things on himself that he didn't have to. Why, one of these days he'd blame himself for there being no oxygen in space. In fact, I told that to Heero when we were fighting the Eve's war.

"So, what brought all this up if you've accepted the fact you were a test tube child? I mean, I should think what matters is how you live your life, not how it was given to you. Not to mention, you have a family who loves you. Added to that, you are still your father's son, no matter what science accomplished. It still takes genetics to create life. I'm certain your father and mother both donated themselves to make you. Just as is the case for all of those sisters of yours," I spoke, knowing I was pushing it. If I leaned any further over, I'd be lying, and that was something I refused to do.

"Instructor H said something similar to that to me, back then. That's what made me realize I was being selfish. He told me: 'No matter your circumstances, once you've been given the gift of life, you must live a life you can be proud of.' That's when I stopped caring about how I was made, and started caring about what I did with the life I had been given. Yet my past was needed to be understood to understand my current problem." I raised an eyebrow at that and nodded, knowing he needed to speak.

"And what would this be?" I asked, wanting to help in anyway I could.

"Trowa says he wants us to have a child. One created from both of our DNA. Now I would love nothing better than to have a child made of our love, but I'm scared about it as well. What if our child becomes as spiteful about how he was made as I once was?" I smiled brightly, knowing I was getting privileged information. I then went into professional mode, knowing Quatre deserved the best I could give him.

"How long have Trowa and you been together?" I asked. He blinked.

"Duo, you already know that." I laughed.

"Humor me, Q-bean. How long have you two been together?"

"We've been together as a couple since the middle of A.C. 195. We got married in A.C. 201, after the passing of the equal marriage act, allowing gay couples to be recognized as a true relationship." I nodded.

"So you could say your love has held you together through some hard times, as well as some easy times, correct?" Quatre looked at me as if I had lost it. I know I knew the answers, but I wanted him to realize what I was getting at.

"Of course. Our love began during a war and survived it, as well as lasted through prejudice. Just what are you getting at, Duo?" I knew I couldn't play this little game any longer, especially since I heard a vehicle pull up outside.

"It means that if your love can survive all that, then it could survive your child being as you used to be. On top of that, if you love your child well enough, there shouldn't be any worries of how he was brought into this world. All you'd have to worry about is who gets up in the middle of the night." Quatre's serious expression told me he was really thinking over what I had said. He then smiled one of his mega-watt smiles and moved over to throw himself into my arms. I smiled back, hugging him in return.

"Thanks so much Duo. I knew you of all people would understand. Not to mention, such a great psychologist would of course already understand the problem before I could fully explain it." I patted his head and smiled up at Trowa and Wufei as they walked into the door. Wufei smirked while Trowa simply raised an eyebrow at Quatre and me.

"Trying to steal my husband, Duo?" Trowa asked. Although he asked it as seriously as he said anything else, I could tell by his eyes that he was teasing. Or should I say eye? After all, you still couldn't see both of them.

"Well, he can cook a pretty good meal. I may want to borrow him occasionally."

"If your cupboards are any indication of how you cook, then of course you'd want his cooking. Sandwiches just don't fill you up like an actual meal, eh Maxwell?" I snorted and nodded.

"Well, I suppose living off what I made in the war isn't a good idea, huh?" I asked in return, making Wufei smirk even wider. Yet Quatre looked at me with a confused expression.

"But Duo, I thought you ate your meals at the orphanage, seeing as it doesn't have a live in cook yet." I grimaced while Wufei and Trowa looked at me in surprise.

"You mean you can cook?" Trowa asked. I sent a glare Quatre's way. He swallowed and looked a little sheepish.

"Sorry Duo. I wasn't supposed to tell, was I." I shrugged it off, turning to Trowa's question.

"No one ever asked if I could cook. Everyone just assumed I couldn't because of the fact I always made sandwiches and other such simple items for our dinners. But to answer your question, Tro-man, I can cook just fine. I've never had any complaints from the kids, and they'll always be the first to let you know something tastes like shit." Wufei chuckled, causing me to look up at him. "What's so funny?" I asked, confused. I could tell Trowa and Quatre didn't know what was so funny either.

"I wouldn't have found it funny if you had admitted this back when we were still pilots. Yet it's possibly because of your way of cooking that kept us from all becoming fat. After all, Trowa was good with the European meals, Quatre made the Arabian dishes, Heero dabbled with the Japanese ones, and I with the Chinese. While the Japanese and Chinese meals weren't going to make us gain weight really fast, Trowa's and Quatre's dishes would have. Add to that what American's are known for, and you'd find over weight Gundam Pilots instead of what we were." I couldn't help but fall over laughing at that while Quatre and Trowa snickered as well. All in all, it was one of the more enjoyable nights I had had for a very long time.

The next morning I awoke bright and early. I took a quick shower before heading into the kitchen. This time, Trowa was the one doing the cooking. I raised an eyebrow at that, due to the fact that the smell of chocolate chip pancakes soon caressed my nose. I leaned casually against the door frame that led into the kitchen, simply watching Trowa. He was still as graceful as ever, even though he didn't work at the circus anymore. He was smiling softly, and his eyes were both visible. It was certainly a special day indeed.

"To what do I owe this unique pleasure?" I asked. He turned to me with a hopeful smile.

"Quatre told me about what you two had talked about last night. I suppose I just wanted to say thank-you." I laughed softly and shook my head.

"No need for it. He would have come to that conclusion himself if he had thought about it more. Besides, you two are totally in love. There is nothing you two wouldn't do for each other." Trowa looked at me a bit closer, and I could tell he was seeing behind my always cheerful façade. Trowa was the only one who knew I had once been in love with Heero. Hell, I still was in love with him. Yet unlike Trowa, I wasn't lucky enough to have earned his love in return.

"I don't think he would have been able to accept things as well as he did if you hadn't of helped." I smiled, crossing my arms over my chest, my white dress shirt perfectly pressed.

"Then I'm glad I could be of help." Trowa seemed a little distracted for a moment before he looked at me with a serious expression. "What's bothering ya, Tro-man. Ya aren't normally so talkative. So what is it that's on your mind?" He looked away from me.

"Can I borrow your professional ear for a moment?" he asked. I blinked in surprise. What was it with all of my fellow pilots wanting my professional help? They had never wanted to talk to me before.

"Sure, Tro-man, but can I eat at the same time. I've got to be at work within an hour." He nodded and served me up a plate of hotcakes. I began eating as he began talking.

"I was a mecernary for most of my life, Duo. I can't recall much from before I was four. At that time I was found by mercenaries and raised by them. I didn't see any value in living. There was nothing for me, at least that's what I believed. In A.C. 190 I had met a girl named Middie Une. I've talked to Lady Une bout her, but she can't recall anyone in her family named Middie. She stayed with the mercenaries and myself for a while. I even had a lot of people thinking I wasn't human. In all honesty, I simply just never bothered to let anyone get close to me. The mercenaries I had lived with were betrayed by Middie and everyone but myself had been killed. She said she was envious of me because I didn't care. I had no name, no home, no ties and thus I could do as I pleased when I pleased. Yet she didn't realize that I wanted to be just like her, with ties that would lead my loyalty in a single direction. I left her behind, and she called out my name, or rather, what I used to be called. When asked where No-Name was going, I had replied: 'You got the wrong guy. I'm not No-Name. I'm a traveler, looking for a place to go home to.'

"I had then set out for space. I think I was fourteen. I found a maintenance job on L-3 colonies. While there, I had earned a spot on the team that worked on my soon to be Gundam, Heavy Arms. I had also met the real Trowa Barton while there. Yet knowing him was short lived. I soon accidentally witnessed his murder. Walking over to Doktor S, I had told him I was felling pretty uncomfortable without a name, and that I wouldn't mind taking his. So, thus, I became known as what you call me by now." I looked at Trowa. That was amazing. I had never known all of this about Trowa, not to mention I wasn't the only one who wondered what Trowa's real name was. Catherine Bloom seemed to think he was the brother she had lost. Someday we'd have to run a check to see who he really was. Until then, there shouldn't be any worries as long as he could understand and deal with his name.

"Now, I hate to sound like the dumb one here, but why did you tell me all that? I'm fairly certain the only person to have heard everything about your past is Q-bean. So why tell me?"

"Because I want to know if finding out about who I really am is important. Quatre and I are going to have a child. I don't want that child to feel confused about who he is. I don't want him to wonder if his name is really his, or just something his father picked out of a need to have one." I raised an eyebrow at that. My name was something that had been picked out of a need to have one. I had gotten tired of being called 'Hey kid!' and 'Violet-Eyes!' Thus I had taken a spin off of my best friends name, which had been Solo, and began to call myself Duo. It was only after what had happened to the Maxwell Church that I had taken my last name, Maxwell. Thus, I suppose one could say I really had a name that I had picked out. Trowa seemed to realize this just then and his lips formed into the motions of an apology, but I stopped him before he could even utter the first letter.

"Don't. I'm not offended. Far from it, in fact. I know this is how I came to have my name. I played off a friends name and stole my last name. I'm not ashamed of me. I could be called Lavatory and I would still be me. I just don't think anyone would take me seriously with a name like that, is all. So what you have to realize is that a name is just a way for someone to realize who they are talking to or about. It's who the person really is that counts. No matter what your name is, your still Quatre's husband, a former Gundam Pilot, Former mercenary, and all around good friend. Do you understand where I'm going with this?" Trowa smiled then, nodding.

"Yeah. No matter what I'm called, I'm still me." I nodded in return and stood up, pulling on a black suit jacket and straightening my tie. I then gave him a little wave and headed toward the doorway.

"Thanks for breakfast," I told him. He merely inclined his head. Yet his words stopped me dead.

"Oh, and Duo," I turned to look at him, standing in the doorway of my place while he stood in the doorway of my kitchen. "Good call on Duo. I'd have had a really hard time talking to someone named Lavatory. Let alone even being a partner with him." I choked back my laughter at that comment. Only Trowa would come up with something like that. Sometimes I wondered if his time with the mercenaries hadn't warped his sense of humor for all time.

"I'll bare that in mind, Tro-man. See you at lunch!" He nodded and went back into the kitchen. I turned and headed off to work, knowing I'd have to try for some time off tomorrow. I wanted at least one whole day with my friends, especially since I was expecting Wufei to eventually come to me as well, and that was one person I really would be surprised to hear wanting my attention.


	5. Chatper Four

_**Sincerity and (In)Sanity**_

Chapter Four; Duo POV:

After a rather grueling session with the orphanages resident bad boy, I found myself almost physically drained. It was worth it though. He had finally caved, just a little. It seems our common obsession over the Gundam Pilots had finally gotten him to talk to me. Now granted, talking about something that wasn't personal wasn't necessarily ground breaking, but it had gotten me in the door. As much as I hated to think I'd have to go beyond professional means, I might just have to tell him a few more tidbits about us Gundam Pilots as a bribe in order to get somewhere with the boy. Shane was the brightest kid I'd ever seen. He was as slick as Heero on a computer, as prideful as Wufei, as considerate of others as Quatre, as in love with animals as Trowa, and as much a sneak as me. He was all the best parts of us pilots, in one person. If J had ever found him, I know he would have tried to make a 01 and a half out of him.

"Duo, can we talk for a moment?" Andrew asked as he poked his head into my office. I waved him in, gracing him with a smile. Sometimes, I missed my life as a pilot. Sometimes. Other times, when I saw my work helping others, I couldn't help but be glad of the path I had come to chose for myself.

"Sure. What's up?" I asked, glad that I had a brief break before I had another case. After that case was lunch, of which I was to meet my friends at home. Heero was to join us sometime today, yet Quatre was uncertain of when. Knowing that Relena wasn't going to try to hang on to him any longer, I was certain it was only his hesitancy toward seeing me again that held him back. After all, we had parted on less than perfect terms. I was bound and determined to remain as open and friendly toward him as I had always been. I refused to let one night of amazing love making change the fact that he was still one of the best friends I had ever had the pleasure to have.

"It's about Shane," he said slowly, trying to gage my reaction to his words. Knowing he was good at reading people by their expressions, I kept my face neutral, not showing anything beyond mild curiosity.

"What about the boy?" I asked, wanting to know what would make him so serious. He didn't disappoint me, either.

"He's been deemed un-placeable. In other words. . ."

"No family will take him. I know that saying all too well, Andrew. So what is it you want from me?" I asked. Already I hated the powers-who-be. No one should ever say someone was un-placeable. It was just wrong. Kids lost a lot of faith in themselves when they got placed into that category. It just wasn't right!

"I see you remember your time in the Orphanage very well." I snorted.

"I was also labeled as an un-placeable. I felt unwanted and unworthy. It wasn't a very good feeling. It led me to do a lot of things that I later regretted to some level." For a moment, I could see a flash of rubble and a golden hair falling around an angelic face. I felt all my old pain and fear surge foreword, threatening to flood into me after years of being locked up.

"Duo, are you all right?" Andrew asked suddenly, shaking me from my memories. I blinked up at him and nodded, looking away for a moment.

"Yeah. Just recalling something. Nothing important." I shook myself internally before drawing a deep, calming breath and facing him once more. "Why tell me this? What do you want from me?" Andrew looked a little embarrassed, yet he turned his eyes on me with a serious glint.

"I was hoping you could take him in for a week or so and help him learn to get along with others. You are proof that not all un-placeable children remain that way." I laughed bitterly.

"I am not the proper example. I've done some really bad things in my life. Not to mention I was a major player in the wars. I'm certain we don't want him to follow in my footsteps." I sighed and looked away. "Not to mention anyone I've really loved whole-heartedly and had love me in return has died. So this isn't something I want to teach him." Andrew walked over to me a placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Stop it, Duo. You've loved people since then and they have loved you and nothing has happened. You can't let what horrible people began in the past influence your present. It was war and sickness. There is nothing you could have done, no matter how good you were. These things happened in order to make you who you are today. I have to admit, I highly admire who you've become, in spite of all the hardships you've gone through." I smiled, a genuine one, and nodded. He was right. The past was the past and the present was the present. There was nothing that could change that. Not now or ever.

"You're right. But even I find myself lost to the horrors of my past sometimes. I don't want to see the same thing happen to him, Andrew. Maybe staying with me can teach him something about life. Yet I've got my friends staying with me for the next couple days. How about we let him stay with me at the beginning of next week? We can see what I can do then, okay?" Andrew smiled, letting himself relax. It was obvious in his posture that he was seriously less stressed than when he had first come into my office.

"Thank-you, Duo. I'm glad you're willing to help." I laughed, waving off the seriousness of a few moments ago.

"Hey, you know I'd do anything for these kids." Andrew nodded.

"I know. That's what makes you such a great psychologist." I smiled and looked at my clock.

"I've got one of my kids coming in about two minutes. Ya might want to be gone before she shows or you'll hinder everything I've been doing with her." Andrew looked at me for a moment.

"Chloe?" he questioned. I nodded. Chloe reminded me of a mix between Une, Relena, and Hilde. She had been diagnosed with split personality disorder. She actually had three different personalities, all of which had their own name when you were talking to her. No parent wanted someone that unstable, so she was also on the un-placeable list. Yet to me, she was normal. After all, Lady Une had suffered from the same thing, and she had managed to make quite a name for herself. It wasn't as if I couldn't understand her, far from it in fact. If I had to be honest, I'd say that I had a version of it as well. Seeing as I had called myself Shinigami while fighting and Duo Maxwell when I wasn't in battle. It just went to show that many people had a second half, although how many people ever realized it, well that was another story entirely.

"Yeah. We're supposed to have a little one-on-three session today." Andrew's eyes widened.

"She actually lets her other personalities talk to you?" I laughed, nodding.

"Of course. I'm just as crazy as she is sane and she loves it. She thinks I'm the perfect person to talk to."

"I see. Then I'll leave you to your work. You've obviously gotten further than I ever could." I laughed, I couldn't help it. It helped that they realized I had once been an orphan as they now were. That let them realize that their situations weren't total losses. That they could still make something out of themselves even if they were never adopted. It was a very positive thing for them.

"Later Andrew. Just send the necessary paperwork for Shane to some stay with me before the end of the week. Then we can see what we can do to help him out." Andrew nodded, moving toward the door.

"I'll get right on it." That said he waved and left, and none too soon in my opinion. No more than thirty seconds after he had left, Chloe had walked into the room, a serious look on her face. I tipped my head to the side, already realizing that it wasn't Chloe who was in control at the moment.

"Good afternoon, Sherry. I see you've decided to lead this session today," I said in my normal voice, no air of superiority in my tone. Sherry was the Une personality. She didn't like to be talked down to; not one bit. Therefore, handling this personality took some finesse on my part.

"How did you know it was me? Everyone else always mistakes me for Chloe," she grumbled, her voice sounding more mature than the thirteen-year-old she was. Granted, there were a lot of kids that grew up way to quickly due to life on the streets. A harsh course in reality that they hadn't been expecting. I wasn't a stranger to that way of life. I could understand the need to be treated like an equal. It's what fueled Sherry.

"You may look a like, but you carry yourself differently from her. There's a more serious stance to your body," I answered, knowing it was something she'd take as a compliment. Of course, that's what I wanted her to do. Her long blond hair almost reminded me of Quatre's, all soft and corn-silk yellow in color. Her eyes were a sweet, vibrant green, one that reminded me of Trowa's own emerald green eyes. I'd almost say she was a child of the two, if she wasn't so lost inside as to have created separate personalities.

"So what are we to talk about today, Doc? I don't want to be stuck here reliving the past yet again." I sighed. This really was one of my more difficult cases. I watched as her posture took on a more elegant look. Almost as if she had been born to royalty. This was her second personality. The one who was really good with people. She was the diplomat if ever there was one. This was here Relena-like personality.

"Well, I was hoping we could just talk casually today, Cassandra. Is that all right with you?" I asked, once again changing the way I spoke to her. This one took a diplomatic way of speaking to handle. A tone that spoke of manners. It wasn't one I enjoyed having to employ, yet years of seeing Relena had given me a good edge on this. I'd have to remember to thank her for that when I saw her.

"That would be lovely, Doctor Maxwell. I haven't had a nice chat in a long while." I bowed my head, smiling softly as she curtsied back to me. Yet as she moved to take a seat, her posture switched once more. This one was more relaxed and free willed. It was the Hilde-like personality. The one that was Chloe herself. I smiled and allowed myself my goofy attitude to shine through.

"Glad ta hear it, Chloe. Now, let's get to chatting, shall we?" Settling in for an hour of bouncing between the three, I knew this would be anything but boring.

Walking in the door to my home, I smiled as I saw three jackets on the coat rack near the door. Kicking off my dress shoes at the door, I looked around. Never before had my place been so clean without me having taken a weekend away from the office to clean it. This was entirely Quatre's doing, I was certain. He never liked to remain in a place that wasn't picked up and neat. I suppose putting up with me for so long as a pilot had been enough to drive him crazy. Now, while I wasn't as messy as I had been while playing hero in a Gundam, I still wasn't as neat as I could be. It just went to show that I wasn't an all around non-busy person.

"I'm home!" I called, wondering which one of them would actually answer.

"Okaieri," a familiar, yet almost forgotten baritone said in Japanese. I looked up quickly from hanging up my jacket to see Heero standing not more than three feet away from me. It was obvious he had just come from the kitchen, where I was beginning to realize was everyone's favorite place to congregate. Time had been really good to him. He had filled out more, so he didn't look quite so skinny. He still didn't look like he could bend metal with his bare hands, yet I was almost certain he still could. He looked really good, too. Almost good enough to eat. His chocolate brown hair fell into his eyes in a very tempting way. I could feel my fingertips aching to brush the strands out of the way so I could see those breathtaking Prussian blue eyes without obstruction. Yet it wasn't to be. Not for me at the moment, seeing as I didn't know how receptive Heero would be toward me. Sure, he was here, but that didn't mean he wanted to be here. After a brief glance over his body, I gave him a slow, gentle smile. It was one of the few I reserved solely for him.

"Thanks, Hee-chan. It's really good to be home."


	6. Chatper Five

**_Sincerity and (In)Sanity_**  
AN: I felt I needed a change of pace. Now while I admit that I am no where near able to portray Heero perfectly, I'm gladly reminded that this is quite a few years after the wars and I'm almost positive that he's changed a bit. After all, can't have Heero remain the perfect soldier and emotional Popsicle for the rest of his life, ne? Well, this is how I feel Heero would be at the age of twenty-five. Forgive me if he becomes majorly OOC.

Chapter Five; Heero POV:

I stared at Duo as he placed his jacket on the coat rack. He still kept himself in good condition. He was taller, which wasn't an issue. I always knew most of my friends would eventually become taller than me due to the fact I was Japanese. You don't see very many of us top five foot five. I was just lucky to gain a few more inches than that. His suit seemed tailor made for him. If I was correct about his profession, then it very likely was. I hadn't really found out what he'd done after college until Relena came back from her appointment with a shrink and mentioned that she had seen Duo. At first, as old habits die hard, I had wanted to believe that Duo was getting help for as crazy as he was. Needless to point out, I was blow away by the revelation that Duo had been the very shrink I had sent her to. How could I not have placed two and two together to realize that a Dr. Maxwell could have been Duo?

I seemed frozen as Duo looked me over. His eyes were always expressive. Their violet color always giving away how he felt, even if he wasn't feeling exactly as he tried to make everyone believe he was. I think I'm the only one to realize it. That could also be wishful thinking on my part. It had taken Quatre inviting us for a reunion before I could see Duo again. Relena had kept me so busy I hadn't been able to go find him once we had parted ways all those years ago. I still wanted to know about the letter her had left me. I had wanted to let him know how much he meant to me, but that had been the best I could come up with. His had been more telling. He had been upset over what I had left and for the life of me, even to this day, I couldn't understand why.

His chestnut brown hair was still held back in it's usual braid, some glimpses of red shimmering throughout it as the light caught it. It was longer than it had once been. That was fine. I had always loved his hair, no matter what he did with it. Secretly, even though I kept telling him he should cut it, that it wasn't professional or efficient, I hadn't really wanted him to. I couldn't keep the answering smile off my face as he smiled at me. It was one of the few that were genuine, and left solely for me.

"Thanks, Hee-chan. It's really good to be home." His rich tenor voice washed over me and I felt an internal shiver. It had been so long since I had last heard his voice. I used to think that I'd be happy once I had some peace and quiet, away from his eternal motor-mouth. Yet once I had realized I missed his idle chatter about anything and everything and nothing at all, I found myself replaying disks of his voice just to hear him. Yet his voice was as childish as it had been in those tapes. Duo had grown up the same as the rest of us. While it was obvious that there was a lot that was different with him, there was also a lot that was the same. The main part was that Duo was still happy, even without me in his life. It hurt to realize this, but I had come to realize a lot of things I didn't like. Maybe Duo had even managed to find someone else. My breath caught in my chest. Even though Quatre had assured me that he had no one living with him, that didn't mean he just hadn't gotten to that point with someone else. It hurt to think of someone else touching my Duo as I had. No one should be able to hear his moans but me.

"Ne, Hee-chan, are you okay?" his voice asked. I shook myself out of my thoughts and found myself almost face-to-face with him. I blinked, startled. At least I knew he didn't hate me. When Duo hated someone, he didn't get close to them. I nodded slowly, reaching out to brush a stray lock of hair over his ear. Duo graced me with a brighter smile then, making my heart beat a familiar tune. One it had beat all those years ago when we had finally come together. When his hands had caressed more than just in a friendly way and mine had returned the favor.

"Hai," I answered. I felt that now that he knew I was all right, he'd move away from me, leaving me without his warmth. Instead, he returned the favor and brushed his hand over my forehead, shifting my bangs so they didn't obstruct my view. I felt lost. I wanted to tell him everything that I had come to realize while he was away from me. I wanted to tell him that it took me losing him beside me before I had realized what it was I had felt toward him, but for some reason I couldn't name, I couldn't say anything at all. Emotions, while not so new to me anymore, weren't something I was good at expressing.

"How's work?" Duo asked, still remaining close to me. I couldn't help it, as his gentle touch brushed over my forehead once more to slide down to caress my cheek, I leaned into his hand. While it wasn't perfectly soft, years of hard work showed on his callused hands, but it was still softer than any man had a right to have. His expressive eyes flared with something I still couldn't read, even now, and he leaned in close. His warm breath only mere inches away from my lips. I could feel his breath burning me, making me long for more than I should ask for.

"It's good," I replied, wondering how I had been able to answer him without finding myself pushing him back against the wall and taking those soft looking lips of his in a brushing kiss that showed him just how much I had missed him over these long years. Yet I wanted to let him make the first move. I wanted to know that my feelings were returned. I didn't want to make him do something he didn't want to. He smiled, I could see it in his eyes, that were so close to mine. I couldn't help the answering smile that came to me. He was always able to make me smile, even when I didn't want to.

"Good. I've got a problem, Hee-chan," he told me then, his voice husky, almost sounding strained. I sucked in a swift breath as his tongue lightly slipped out to caress my lower lip, taking in the fresh scent of lavender and vanilla. The scent that was most certainly Duo and Duo alone. He loved using lavender shampoo and conditioner for his hair and a vanilla scented body wash for himself. He said it was in order to seduce me, which had worked well, might I add. Even now, he brought to mind our one amazing night. Clearing my throat, but not backing away, I answered with the only words I knew to answer with.

"What problem?" I asked. 'Oh, smooth Yuy. Real smooth. Why not just let the boy know you're still as turned on by him now as you were before and paste it on your forehead for everyone to see!' That little voice inside me screamed. I honestly felt as embarrassed as the situation called for. After all, Duo was a practical joker and usually enjoyed teasing me or the other pilots relentlessly. What was to say this wasn't some kind of joke? If it was, then I had to admit that I very likely deserved it.

"You see, I want to kiss you, Heero. It feels like we've only been away for a brief while instead of years. Now the first thing I learned as a psychologist was that you admit you have a problem. I've done that. The second is to face the problem. Well, I'm facing it. The last thing is to make the problem go away. Well, the only way to do that is to kiss you. Yet I know we parted on the worst of terms. We were both upset and hurt and scared. So my only question to you is, may I kiss you, even if you still hate me?" I felt my breath catch. How could someone this wonderful still want me, desire me, and love me? It just didn't compute with my mind. Yet at the moment, I wanted the same thing, as well as knew I had to correct one thing he had said before I gave in. It was just difficult to handle this when he was so close to me I could fell his breath against my lips every time he spoke or let his breath go.

"I don't hate you, Duo. I never have. I just didn't understand what I was feeling. Yet to answer your question, yes, you can kiss me." He didn't wait another second. His velvet soft lips locked onto mine before the last word passed my lips. I didn't protest. I felt him melt against me, and I raised my arms to wrap around him. If I had know this was the kind of reception I would have gotten seeing Duo, I would have come to him yesterday instead of waiting for today. Quatre, Trowa, and Wufei all agreed that we needed some time to ourselves when I arrived, knowing there was much we needed to talk about. I just never dreamed we wouldn't need much words between the two of us.

I felt his tongue lightly brush against my lower lip once more. I let my lips part, feeling him slip his tongue inside the cavern of my mouth in order to duel with my own tongue. The kiss was hot, deep, and reminiscent of everything we had once been before fear and stupidity had driven us apart. Both emotions had been on my part, although Duo had shown some of it himself by his answering letter. Although it was more obvious now that his actions had been fueled more by hurt and childishness, instead of fear and stupidity. Once our lungs began crying for air, we parted, Duo coming to rest his head on my shoulder. I held him tightly, uncertain when this dream would end, and it most certainly had to be a dream, and not wanting to let go just yet.

"Hee-chan, that was still mind blowing," Duo whispered against my neck, his breathing causing me to shiver. I nodded.

"Hai," I answered. I felt him smile against my neck. He then left a teasing little nip at the sensitive hollow of my throat, making me moan softly at such a caress. It simply served to remind me of everything Duo was quite good at making me do.

"Look, I know we parted on less than friendly terms. Neither one knew where the other had gone. It took asked Quatre to find out you had accepted a job as Relena's bodyguard. He hadn't even found out about my job choice until I had already been working at it for about a week."

"He had been able to tell us you'd gone on to college. We just didn't know where. He wouldn't tell us. Quatre kept saying if we wanted to know anything, then we should talk to you, personally. I suppose all of us were just glad to know you were all right. We didn't need to know anything else. Or rather, that's what we tried to tell ourselves. I wanted to come find you Duo. I really did. Yet I was so wrapped up in my work, that I thought I'd have to wait until I had a break to do it." Duo laughed softly, holding me in a gentle hold. I reveled in it.

"Let me guess, Relena was too obsessed with you at the time to be able to let you go." I laughed as well.

"How'd you guess?" I asked, knowing full well he understood people far better than anyone else I knew, including Quatre.

"Just a lucky one. Anyway, I'm sorry for that letter, Heero. It was very childish of me. Not to mention just a little mean. I should have waited and told you I was going personally. It's just I was hurting so badly back then. I couldn't handle seeing you again. I took the cowards way out. I ran and hid."

"Something you've told me on many an occasion that you're very good at," I answered. He laughed, lifting his head from my shoulder and looking up into my eyes. I could feel myself drowning in those violet depths, but I didn't feel like stopping myself. Not this time.

"So I have, haven't I?" He asked, a smile on his lips. I nodded, leaning up to brush a kiss across his nose. He smiled even brighter then. "It wasn't until I had gotten some time alone and some serious psychology behind me that I realized you hadn't said what you had to be mean. You had wrote the only thing you could think of to describe what you felt back then. I kept forgetting that you were still new in the emotional arena. I shouldn't have retaliated the way I had." I shook my head, holding him close. It was then that he straightened from his bent position. As he did so, I found my head coming to rest on his shoulder instead of the other way around. I couldn't help but feel comfort and tenderness in the reversal of our roles. I could seriously find myself liking being held, as long as Duo was the one doing the holding.

"We were both new to such feelings, Duo. Even you had told me once that you feared loving anyone." I felt him tense slightly. I raised my head to meet his gaze, only to see his eyes slightly glazed over in remembrance of something he wasn't enjoying. I slowly raises a hand and caressed his cheek. He blinked, dispelling the glazed look and looked down at me, a small crooked grin crossing his lips.

"So I did. I suppose we both had our own demons to fight, ne? I guess you've done better than I have," he said, a bitter tone to his normally light voice. I shook my head.

"I'm still fighting my own," I whispered. Even I was afraid to love. I didn't know if I was really capable of it. Duo sighed and stepped back, letting go of me at the same time. I felt a little bereft of his arms around me, yet I knew we could remain that way forever. While it was still obvious we felt something still for one another, it wasn't certain if it was what we had once felt all those years ago.

"What say we start things slowly, fighting our demons as we go." I blinked. What was he getting at?

"What do you mean, Duo?" I asked, wanting to understand him perfectly. I couldn't help the small bit of hope that had filled my tone. I really wanted to be with Duo. I'd do anything I could to make it work.

"I say we try dating. I know we've already done far more and I also know we know more about the other than a normal couple who are trying to see if they'll get along in the long run. Yet there are quite a few years of separation here. We need to get reacquainted with each other. Take the time to see if its more than physical, not that I don't believe this isn't more. I just want us both to be certain before we make this something more than just friends." I raised an eyebrow at him.

"Is this the psychologist talking, or the man?" I asked, having to know. Duo laughed softly.

"Hard to separate the two any more, Hee-chan. I'm both on a pretty steady basis now." I nodded, understanding him now. He wasn't the same silly boy I had first loved anymore. He was a man who had come to understand people in a way I would never be able to. He had taken his skills and molded them into something he could be proud of. In all honesty, seeing him in this light only made me more proud of him. Only made me love him more. Oh, I was certain I loved him. That was one thing I had come to realize while we had been apart. Yet I didn't know if I could love him unconditionally, as he should have. Our pasts were still going to be sore spots between the two of us, but at least we had a chance. This was more than I could have ever hoped to have gotten at such an early point in time.

"All right, then. We'll try it your way. We'll act like a normal couple, or as normal as we can be seeing as we aren't really normal." Duo grinned and hugged me then, which in turn I could do more than return the warm embrace.

"Um, we do kind of have to share a room while you're here. Unless you either want the couch or you could share with Wuffles." I laughed softly. Duo always managed to think of the important things after other things had already been dealt with.

"I think we can handle being room-mates without jumping the other, Duo," I said with a smile. He looked away, but I couldn't miss his grumbled reply.

"Easy for you to say." I chuckled and lightly brought his turned away face to face mine.

"Why, Mr. Maxwell, are you saying you like me that much?" I teasingly questioned. His eyes widened as I teased him and I couldn't help but smile even wider at his expression. It seemed we really had a lot of catching up to do.

"Heero. . .did you just tease me?" he questioned. I nodded, brushing a kiss a long his jaw-line.

"I did," I answered honestly. I knew Duo prided honesty and truth among all else. It was one thing I knew I could always expect. He may do many things, but he didn't lie.

"Well I'll be. . .Heero Yuy actually has a sense of humor. Oh lord, how am I going to be able to resist you now?" I laughed, knowing Duo had always had a hard time resisting me even back when I didn't have a sense of humor. He had loved me for who I was, wither I was emotionally challenged or not.

"I suppose I'll just have to help you manage it. After all, we're just dating at the moment, aren't we?" I felt him chuckle against me and I couldn't help but laugh with him.

"I suppose so, Hee-chan. I suppose so." He looked toward the clock that rested in his living room and noticed he had exactly ten minutes to get something to eat before he had to head back over to his office. "What say we raid the kitchen and get something to eat before I have to return to my office, Heero. I've only got ten minutes left of my break." I nodded, already leading him in the direction of the kitchen.

"Ryoukai," I answered, one arm still around his waist as we moved, not really ready to let him go just yet. Duo smiled toward me, one of his own arms wrapping around my shoulders, showing me that he felt the same. For that, I was glad, really glad.


End file.
